When I returned from recruit training in 1985, my girlfriends father and every other friends father who had never served said to me at one time or another, "You know I always thought about joining up." Every friends father who had served, whether for a year or two or an extending stint, slapped me on the back and looked at me differently.
I truly believe, the warrior spirit is imbedded in everyman's soul and is too often repressed. Not everyone can serve, but almost every man wishes he had.
Semper Fi, (18+ years and still having fun)